'Cultures do not exist': A critical debate Announcement of a seminar of the Dutch-Flemish Association for Intercultural Philosophy
	Rotterdam, EUR, Philosophical Faculty, 4th June 1999, 16.00-18.00 hrs

To the members of the Dutch-Flemish Association for Intercultural Philosophy

11 May, 1999

Subject: seminar on 4 June, 1999

Dear colleagues and friends,

We are pleased to inform you of a number of recent developments in our association.

On the last General Annual Meeting (27 November 1998) a considerable number of policy decisions were proposed in a policy document from the chair, and unanimously adopted by the membership.

One of these decisions was that English will henceforth be the principal language of communication within our Association; which is why also this letter is written in English.

Another decision was that our website (a link from the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Philosophical Faculty website) is to be developed; for this purpose a subsidy has been successfully requested from the EUR Trust Fund, and work on the site is now in progress; meanwhile our association has found a temporary home at the chairman’s website [ the present website! ] , where a link from the homepage leads to basic information on our association, and to the afore-mentioned policy document.

The General Annual Meeting’s decision to slightly formalise the internal functioning of our association has led to the institution of formal regular meetings of the executive, now consisting of dr Henk Oosterling (secretary), prof. Jan Hoogland (treasurer), and prof. Wim van Binsbergen (chair).

We have also decided to start a series of Working Papers of the Dutch-Flemish Association for Intercultural Philosophy, and the first title (based on Prof. Vincent Chen’s key note address at the 1998 General Annual Meeting) is now in press. Members of our association will be entitled to a free copy of all such Working Papers as they will come out.

While our association was in the pangs of transformation, the meetings of our monthly research seminar were temporarily discontinued. We have decided to start a new series of such meetings, the first of which will be devoted to a critical discussion of Wim van Binsbergen’s 1999 inaugural lecture in the chair of foundations of intercultural philosophy, EUR, under the title: ‘Cultures do not exist’. The purpose of this meeting is to ascertain if, and to what extent, the lines set out in this argument can inspire -- either directly and substantially, or by inviting criticism, opposition and refutation, or in whatever other way -- our association’s activities in the next few years. This meeting will take place:

Friday, 4 June, 1999, 16.00-18.00 hrs (to be followed by free drinks and by dinner at individual members’ own cost)

Philosophical Faculty, EUR, Oostmaaslaan 950-952 (streetcars 3 or 13; 600 m west of EUR Woudenstein Campus)

non-members and prospective or potential members are also very welcome

Members of the executive are reminded that this meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the executive, as from 14.00 hrs.

Our members have all received a copy of the published Dutch text of Wim van Binsbergen’s inaugural; go to: http://www.multiweb.nl/~vabin/index.htm for a lightly (but importantly) revised Dutch version and for a shortened English version.

Looking forward to welcoming you on Friday 4 June,

with best wishes,

also on behalf of Henk Oosterling, NVVIF secretary,

Wim van Binsbergen

homepage